So me and my girlfriend are planning to attend multiple cons in texas this year including Comic-Con and Akon 25 but its our first time cosplaying. We desided to cosplay Sword Art Online (Like thats never been done before lol!), and a couple other popular anime but those are still undecided. But this is our first time cosplaying and would love to hear what tips and advice you guys with experience have for those of us without any! (:

Also feel free to share pictures of your cosplay adventures! I would love to see you people of the community in cosplay!

So me and my girlfriend are planning to attend multiple cons in texas this year including Comic-Con and Akon 25 but its our first time cosplaying. We desided to cosplay Sword Art Online (Like thats never been done before lol!), and a couple other popular anime but those are still undecided. But this is our first time cosplaying and would love to hear what tips and advice you guys with experience have for those of us without any! (:

Also feel free to share pictures of your cosplay adventures! I would love to see you people of the community in cosplay!

First things first - be careful! It's really easy to get overheated or dehydrated without noticing it at a con. Everyone is asking for pictures, you're trying to get from point A to point B.. and suddenly an extra hour has passed and you've sweated out all your liquids from before you dressed up. Try to take rest periods every hour or two until you're sure you can handle more time in costume.

I'm guessing your cosplay won't include pockets for either of you, so carry a small bag with your camera and such. That way you can take quick pics of other awesome cosplays, as well as drop the bag behind your feet when someone else is taking a pic of you.

Thanks for the tips! Im really looking forward to giving it a try, we are extreamly excited but we just dont know what to expect considering its our first time doing this kinda thing! Always looking for advice on cosplay!

Oh! One other thing - your con badge. Most of the time, staff will want to see it on you, but it might get in the way of pictures, so it's a good idea to have it somewhere easy to remove or hide if possible.

And one other other thing - you might want to practice/be prepared for some poses with each other Crossing blades, hands held, other stuff people might recognize from the show. If possible, maybe some laying down shots or something if a friend can take some pictures for you. Be sure to get some pics before you leave your hotel room, just in case. I still haven't found pics for some of the cosplays I've done in the past because I didn't follow that rule....

- Uncomfortable/itchy wigs are usually what makes me sick of being in costume after a few hours. If you're wearing wigs, stretch out your wigcaps for a few hours before you wear them: you'll get a killer headache if the elastic is too tight. A little bit of moleskin tape on the inside of the wig itself will make it less itchy on your forehead.

- If your girlfriend's using a wig for Asuna, suggest that she spray it with detangler before the con. Any wig longer than shoulder-length is going to get tangled on the underside and need combing out after wearing: pre-treating it makes it easier.

- You're a dude: wear makeup anyways. Foundation powder will keep you from looking shiny in photographs, and a little bit of eyeliner on the outer third of your eyelid will help you get that tsurime look Kirito has.

- Uncomfortable/itchy wigs are usually what makes me sick of being in costume after a few hours. If you're wearing wigs, stretch out your wigcaps for a few hours before you wear them: you'll get a killer headache if the elastic is too tight. A little bit of moleskin tape on the inside of the wig itself will make it less itchy on your forehead.

- If your girlfriend's using a wig for Asuna, suggest that she spray it with detangler before the con. Any wig longer than shoulder-length is going to get tangled on the underside and need combing out after wearing: pre-treating it makes it easier.

- You're a dude: wear makeup anyways. Foundation powder will keep you from looking shiny in photographs, and a little bit of eyeliner on the outer third of your eyelid will help you get that tsurime look Kirito has.

I never thought about wearing makeup but Ill give it a try!! and thats really good advice so thank you!! For Kirito I was thinking about wearing a wig but I hate the idea of having fake hair honestly so I think Im just going to dye my hair dark brown and just wing it xD

So me and my girlfriend are planning to attend multiple cons in texas this year including Comic-Con and Akon 25 but its our first time cosplaying. We desided to cosplay Sword Art Online (Like thats never been done before lol!), and a couple other popular anime but those are still undecided. But this is our first time cosplaying and would love to hear what tips and advice you guys with experience have for those of us without any! (:

Also feel free to share pictures of your cosplay adventures! I would love to see you people of the community in cosplay!

Hello Hello! Fellow Texas Con-goer here, preparing my own cosplay for next years A-con. Might as well share some pictures!

A rather bad picture, but that's Red Canti! A friend and I took up that EVA foam and candy red paint to make the costume just glow. Some minor problems included the lack of leg's, as we don't have the skill to make leg's that don't fall off, and rather obvious marks on the front of the mask.
Barely finished the Costume in time too, that was painted the day before the con.

But I feel we did good, and THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS! If the costume works or doesn't, as long as you put your work into the costume, everything will turn out great.

As general rules apply, MAKE SURE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE. I'm not sure if you've been to A-kon before, but it's Texas, you know Texas. You're going to spend a lot of time outdoors, as that's where cosplayers have room to pose and picture takers have plenty of light to take pictures. Depending on the Con you will either drown in all the water-coolers they prepared, or you'll have to bring your own, so again, be prepared.

That Canti Costume was tough, durable, comfortable, and hot as hell. As you'll notice, the grill their has plenty of openings to provide breathing room. I don't believe SAO has a character with a face-helmet, but they do wear an absurd amount of winter-ish clothing. Kirito's entire trench coat might look cool, but it'll be hot as hell during A-kon. Asuna doesn't have to worry.

I actually saw a Elf-Kirito and Elf Queen Asuna, they really stood out. So did a Leafa cosplayer, so if you want bonus points go for elves....and Link cosplayers can always use more Elves.

Most importantly, if you're going to party, make sure the Costume can stand the abuse

It's no fun if you're maintaining your costume more than you're posing for pictures.

So me and my girlfriend are planning to attend multiple cons in texas this year including Comic-Con and Akon 25 but its our first time cosplaying. We desided to cosplay Sword Art Online (Like thats never been done before lol!), and a couple other popular anime but those are still undecided. But this is our first time cosplaying and would love to hear what tips and advice you guys with experience have for those of us without any! (:

Also feel free to share pictures of your cosplay adventures! I would love to see you people of the community in cosplay!

Hello Hello! Fellow Texas Con-goer here, preparing my own cosplay for next years A-con. Might as well share some pictures!

A rather bad picture, but that's Red Canti! A friend and I took up that EVA foam and candy red paint to make the costume just glow. Some minor problems included the lack of leg's, as we don't have the skill to make leg's that don't fall off, and rather obvious marks on the front of the mask.
Barely finished the Costume in time too, that was painted the day before the con.

But I feel we did good, and THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS! If the costume works or doesn't, as long as you put your work into the costume, everything will turn out great.

As general rules apply, MAKE SURE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE. I'm not sure if you've been to A-kon before, but it's Texas, you know Texas. You're going to spend a lot of time outdoors, as that's where cosplayers have room to pose and picture takers have plenty of light to take pictures. Depending on the Con you will either drown in all the water-coolers they prepared, or you'll have to bring your own, so again, be prepared.

That Canti Costume was tough, durable, comfortable, and hot as hell. As you'll notice, the grill their has plenty of openings to provide breathing room. I don't believe SAO has a character with a face-helmet, but they do wear an absurd amount of winter-ish clothing. Kirito's entire trench coat might look cool, but it'll be hot as hell during A-kon. Asuna doesn't have to worry.

I actually saw a Elf-Kirito and Elf Queen Asuna, they really stood out. So did a Leafa cosplayer, so if you want bonus points go for elves....and Link cosplayers can always use more Elves.

Most importantly, if you're going to party, make sure the Costume can stand the abuse

It's no fun if you're maintaining your costume more than you're posing for pictures.

Thank you so much for the advice!! Your cosplay looks great man! I have not attended Akon yet but I will be attending this year! (Already got the hotel booked and tickets!) Im thinking about also attending Anime Matsuri as well!

like i said, this person has been to many MANY cons. they've put together a lot of awesome cosplays too, for themselves and for friends. i recommend reading all of these thoroughly; you won't regret it c:

This thread is getting a bit older, It has been a few years since cosplay, but I am going to give probably the most important piece of advice I have learned.

Cosplay isn't about the costume, but the character. I have seen people put on expensive and high quality setups or something that they spent 3 months working on, but they didn't bring that character's persona really with them. Without that, you end up missing lots.

Heck, one convention for fun I decided to just Cosplay as L from Deathnote. "Costume" Took me 5 minutes to put together going through my wardrobe, but People knew I was there as L because how I walked around, looked at people, even sitting on the chair eating lunch, all emulations of L.

Oh! One other thing - your con badge. Most of the time, staff will want to see it on you, but it might get in the way of pictures, so it's a good idea to have it somewhere easy to remove or hide if possible.

And one other other thing - you might want to practice/be prepared for some poses with each other Crossing blades, hands held, other stuff people might recognize from the show. If possible, maybe some laying down shots or something if a friend can take some pictures for you. Be sure to get some pics before you leave your hotel room, just in case. I still haven't found pics for some of the cosplays I've done in the past because I didn't follow that rule....

So true. The whole badge thing seems to be a requirement no matter which con you go to. But there are ways to keep it from hiding parts of your cosplay. And that [take pictures before you leave your hotel rule] - SOOOOO TRUE.

This thread is old but I will include what I have learned for all you newbie cosplayers out there

For the Con
*Make sure to bring water and snacks! There are usually water fountains at large convention centers but pack water just in case. Depending on your costume, you may sweat a lot and will need to replenish. Snacks are also a must. My meal times usually get scattered at cons but I always make sure to pack snacks. You will be happy you have them

*Bring an emergency cosplay supply kit!! A small sewing kit, hot glue, wig caps, and anything else you may need to repair your costume if anything should happen! I learned from experience. I was cosplaying Elsa when an excited little kid accidentally jumped on my cape and the seam tore. Whoops

Choosing a cosplay
Here is the fun part!
*It may be tempting to cosplay someone with an amazing outfit, but keep in mind it will either be really expensive to buy orrrrr really expensive to make. For me, making cosplays is a whole lot cheaper. Also, knowing your skills is a must! Don't take on anything that requires skills that are too advanced for you to make yourself.

Making your cosplay
*Now that you have found who you want to cosplay, it's time to make your costume If it's a sewing project, make sure you have proper supplies. Sewing machine, extra needles, hand sewing needles, thread, a measuring tape, pins, tailors chalk, etc. It will be a lot easier if you find a pattern that you can alter that works for your costume. If it's armor making, you will need to look into which material to use. I'm not one for making armor but I have heard worbla and craft foam work great. Worbla is just really expensive...

*YOUTUBEEEE! Youtube is extremely helpful when it comes to constructing your cosplays, trust me on this. A lot of people post tutorials and what not. Google will be your best friend too. There are lots of cosplay sites with tutorials.

* www.cosplay.com is a wonderful resource.

*For cosplay makeup in general get some mineral powder. Yes, even the guys. Without a mineral powder your makeup may be running down your face half-way through the convention. I speak from experience. Always bring some extra makeup to the convention with you.

*Before the convention, watch the show your character is in to get the details down. Feeling like the character brings a whole new dimension to cosplay

I hope this was helpful to at least one person out there and may your cosplay journey treat you well